UK officials: Prince Harry serving on front line in Afghanistan

In this image made available in London, Thursday, Britain's Prince Harry leaves a Forward Operating Base on his way to patrol through the deserted town of Garmisir, Afghanistan, on Wednesday Jan. 2, 2008.

LONDON Prince Harry has been serving on the front line in Afghanistan with the British Army, the Ministry of Defense said Thursday.

Officials said the prince, a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment, was still deployed in the country.

"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary," said the head of the army. Gen. Richard Dannatt. "He has been fully involved in operations and has run the same risks as everyone else in his battle group."

Harry, who is third in line to the throne, has been in Afghanistan since December. The story was leaked by an Australian magazine and a German newspaper.

Dannatt said he was "very disappointed" that the story had leaked.

Harry, 23, has been fighting in the restive Helmand province, where most of the 7,800 British troops in Afghanistan are based.

Last year military chiefs ruled Harry could not be sent to Iraq with his regiment because publicity surrounding his deployment could put him and his unit at risk.